Rewriting History
by luvinJ
Summary: Bella falls hard when Edward left her. She will look to Jacob and find something she never expected, her true destiny. In the process of falling in love, challenges arise. Will they overcome their problems or will Bella be left alone again. Jacob/Bella
1. Chapter 1 Trick or Treat

**Disclaimer: I own nothing twilight or twilight related. This is purely a work of fan fictonfiction.**

**A/N: This is set in New Moon, after Edward leaves. It is AU and my take what I would have like to see happen. It also has my own twists and turns.**

"EDWARD! WHERE ARE YOU? DON"T LEAVE ME, PLEASE! COME BACK! DON"T GO! NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Bella sat straight up in the bed as Charlie came running in. She was drenched in sweat. Her whole body was trembling.

Charlie took his daughter in his arms. He rocked her, gently kissing her forehead. "It's just a dream, Bella. You're alright. I am here."

Bella looked up at him, but did not have the strength to tell him she was not alright. She would never be alright again. She just laid back down on her pillow and pulled the cover over her head, trying to block out the world.

The darkest days of Bella's life were shortly after Edward had left her. Each morning she forced herself out of bed and silently cursed God that she had to face another day alone. She went through the motions: she took a shower, brushed her teeth, dried her hair and pulled it back in a ponytail. She grabbed whatever clothes were handy, not caring how she looked. She made breakfast for Charlie and drove herself to school. She lost herself in her lessons, speaking to no one unless spoken to. Her evenings were filled with homework, occasional shifts at Newton's, and housework. And try as she might to be numb, the nights were the worst bringing about the reality of her situation through the form of nightmares.

For weeks her life continued on in this fashion. The weather started getting colder. Bella barely noticed. Her routine became so ingrained. She relished the numbness that had overtaken her. The only time she felt anything was during the nightmares.

Slowly, her friends quit calling. Bella never left the house except for school, work or the grocery store. Charlie was scared and was considering sending her to her mother's. Charlie had spent the day fishing with Billy. He was dropping Billy off at his house when Billy questioned him. "Hey Charlie, what's wrong? You hardly spoke and you drank maybe three beers all day."

"It's Bella. She can't seem to let got of the Cullen kid."

"Charlie, they left in September. It is only the end of October. Give her some time. If you knew how tough I had it when Rachel's first boyfriend broke up with her. I had to listen to the most obnoxious love songs every day and every night for three months. She only wore black and wanted to join a convent. A convent Charlie, and we aren't even Catholic."

"Billy, that's not it. I have seen sad. Hell, I have been sad. I drank every night until I passed out for a year after Renee left, but this. This is different. She is a shell of a person. I look at her eyes and there is nothing there. She is a zombie and the dreams, nightmares really, every night she screams. I have heard screams like that before. Usually when I pull up to a house and have to tell a spouse that the person they love isn't coming home. Or have to tell a parent there child has been molested or killed. Jesus Billy, he didn't die. He just dumped her and moved away. But if I could just get my hands on him for ten minutes…"

"Charlie, calm down. He is not worth it. He was all wrong for Bella to begin with. I am glad he is gone. Glad his whole damn family is gone. But what we have to concentrate on now is helping Bella. Give her time Charlie. She just needs to be away from his influence for awhile. She will come around. She is a tough cookie."

"I hope so. I hope you are right. But if it does not get better, I am thinking of sending her to live with Renee. Maybe the sun and change of scenery will do her good."

"You know she does not want to leave you and you just got her back. Be patient a little while longer and see what happens."

Charlie nodded and then waved goodbye as he headed out the door. "See ya Billy and I'll take your advice."

"Anytime," Billy replied, as he wheeled himself over to the television and turned it on.

Jacob was lying in his bed and could not help but overhear the conversation in the living room. When he found out how depressed his life long friend and secret crush had become, he was dumbfounded. He could not imagine that this was the same girl who made mud pies with him as a child. This was the same girl who spent hours coloring with him because his sisters refused to include him whenever Bella visited with her dad. The first girl he ever played show me yours and I will show you mine when he was five and she was seven. The same girl now starred in almost every wet dream he had, ever since he walked with her on the beach, telling her the scary stories of his people. Scary stories, there was an idea. He looked at the calendar and devised a plan. Now, he just needed some helpers, and he knew just who to call.

The doorbell rang on Halloween night at the Swan Residence. Bella picked up the bowl of candy and walked towards the door. Instead of little children, she was greeted by three large teenaged boys. "Aren't you a little old for trick or treating?" she asked, the smallest hint of a grin making an appearance on her face.

"You're never too old!" A smiling Jacob bantered back.

"What are you suppose to be anyways?" Bella asked.

"Well our costumes are not complete. We need you to come with us. It just will not work without you Bella."

Bella shook her head, still not understanding. Jacob then handed her a pink cowboy hat and a toy gun. He pointed to the red paint across his cheeks, and the other two boys produced a bow and arrow and a hatchet. "We're Indians…. Duh! And we need you to be the cowboy, er cowgirl."

Bella could not help but giggle. "Jacob, are you serious? Are you like ten?"

"I am fifteen, thank you very much. Besides, that is also why we need you. We can't drive and you have wheels." He and the other two boys all gave her puppy dog faces.

"How did you get here then?" Bella asked.

"Leah Clearwater dropped us off. She only came to town to get some candy and she is headed back to the Rez. We want to trick or treat here in Forks. See our costumes just don't have quite the same effect when all the people you are trying to get candy from are Indians too. Please Bella."

"I have to hand out candy," was Bella response.

Charlie got up from his recliner and walked over to the door. "Go Bella. Have fun and besides, I need you to keep an eye on this bunch of trouble makers. If you don't go with them, I am afraid of the trouble they might get into."

"This is so stupid," Bella started. "You are so going to owe me Black!" She handed the bowl to Charlie and took the gun and hat from Jacob.

They walked towards the truck and one of the boys spoke up, "I'm Quil Ateara. Jacob seems to have forgotten his manners." He put his hand out and when Bella went to shake it, he brought hers up to his lips and kissed it.

Bella pulled it back and gave Jacob a surprised look.

"Don't worry about Quil. He fancies himself a ladies' man," Jacob chuckled. "The tall one is Embry Call, he is a bit more normal."

Embry raised his arm and in his best cheesy western Indian voice he said, "How."

Jacob looked at Embry and just shook his head. "Okay. Both of my friends are complete morons. Please do not judge me on the company that I keep."

"Speaking of tall, Jacob….. You've grown since I saw you last. You're like buff." Bella blushed as the words just slipped out.

"Well if you came out to the Rez more often, you might have noticed." Jacob chuckled, taking the compliment in stride.

Jacob and Bella got in the cab of the truck, while Embry and Quil jumped in the back. "So where are we going first?" Bella asked.

"Um, how about Main St. All the businesses give out stuff and then if you are up to it, we can go to the old Carson place off the bypass. It is supposed to be haunted and every Halloween we go to see if we can spot any ghosts."

"Have you seen any?" Bella asked.

"No, but we try every year. Sometimes we try to scare each other but basically it is just a lot of goofing off and hanging with my boys," Jacob replied.

It did not take long to make the rounds in town. Soon they had pillow cases full of candy and were making the trek out to the old abandoned house. They pulled into the driveway and stopped at the gate with the sign that warned "Keep Out." Quil and Embry jumped out of the back of the truck. They had obviously been hitting the pixie sticks hard and were bouncing around like five year olds. Bella got her flashlight out of the glove box and started after the boys.

By the time Jacob and Bella caught up with Quil and Embry, they were already on the front porch of the home. Bella almost tripped on the steps but Jacob caught her. "Be careful Bella, Charlie would have my butt if you fell and broke something."

"I'll try to be more careful."

"Let's go in!" Quil exclaimed.

Quil turned on his flashlight and proceeded to climb in through a busted out window. Embry followed. Bella was next with Jacob following closely behind. "Let's split up!" Quil suggested. "Bella and I can go one way, while Embry and Jacob can go the other."

"Nice try, Romeo," Jacob retorted. "Bella and I will go upstairs with her flashlight and you and Embry can take your flashlight and check out what is going on down here. We will meet up in thirty minutes or sooner if we find anything."

"Why are we splitting up?" Bella asked Jacob.

"Oh, you know…this is giving them a chance to scare us and us a chance to scare them." Jacob snickered.

Bella felt some apprehension, but she decided to suck it up, so off they went. Once they got up to the top of the stairs, Jacob took the flashlight from Bella and they started down the hall. Bella grabbed Jacob's arm and kept her body close to his. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and screamed. She pointed towards the movement. Jacob turned the flashlight in the direction Bella was pointing. A small mouse scurried into a hole in the wall. "It's just a mouse, Bella." Then he called out down the stairs, "It was only a mouse guys."

She blushed as she heard the giggle fest commence downstairs. Jacob pulled on her hand and they continued onward. After they had explored the bedrooms and bathroom, they came to a door at the end of the hall. "This goes to the attic. It's kind of spooky up there: killer mice and all. We don't have to go up if you don't want to."

"Let's go," Bella grabbed the flashlight out of Jacob's hand and took the lead. She was tired of feeling like a helpless girl who always needed a protector. They explored the attic finding a bunch of nothing. The moonlight shone through a window at the end of the long room. Bella and Jacob made their way to the window. Looking out, Bella could see for what looked like miles. The far off lights were no doubt Forks and there was a soft faint glow further south. It most likely came from La Push. Bella could feel Jacob's hot, heavy breath on the back of her neck, making all the hairs stand on end. She shivered in response.

"Are you cold?" Jacob asked. He wrapped his arms around her. "Is that better?"

Bella felt herself mold into his frame, welcoming the warmth his arms and body provided. "Much better," she replied. She closed her eyes and for a moment just enjoyed it. Then she felt something harden on her back. She gasped. Then she felt Jacob pull away and turn the opposite direction.

"Let's go find the guys," Jacob muttered.

Obviously Jacob was embarrassed and Bella thought that speaking about it would only embarrass him more, so she said nothing. They headed down the stairs. When they reached the bottom they called out for the others. There was no response. "They are just trying to scare us," Jacob whispered.

"Well they are doing a good job," Bella muttered back.

Jacob squeezed Bella's hand. Somehow, just that simple act made her feel better.

"Embry! Quil! Get in here right now or we are leaving your sorry asses. You can walk home," Jacob bellowed out. They heard a loud crash coming from the other room. Then someone screamed. Jacob and Bella ran towards the noise. All of a sudden the flashlight turned off and they were in total darkness.

The warmth of Jacob disappeared and Bella called out for him. No response. She shuffled forward, tripping over something on the floor. She hit the floor hard and screamed out for Jacob. Suddenly a light flashed on to what she had just fallen over. It was Quil covered in blood. Bella shrieked at the top of her lungs. Then she became aware of laughter. All around her was laughter. Jacob turned his flashlight back on while he and Embry stood a few feet away laughing. She looked over at Quil who was now sitting up, wiping the red off his face and chuckling. "I hate you all!" Bella bellowed out and ran towards the door. The guys followed her, begging for forgiveness.

"I warned you, Bella. I said the guys were just trying to scare you," said Jacob pleading with Bella to listen.

Bella realized that it was all in fun but she was not about to give them the satisfaction of letting them off that easy. She remained aloof and standoffish, walking towards the truck. They followed her like puppy dogs still begging for forgiveness.

The ride to the reservation was pretty quiet. Quil and Embry sat in the back again, while Jacob sat quietly in the cab with Bella.

"I am sorry if that scared you, Bells. I was just trying to have fun with you," Jacob pleaded.

"I forgive you Jacob. I just wanted you to stew in it for a few minutes. I actually did have fun tonight, believe it or not. You and your friends made me laugh, and made me scared out of my mind. But most of all, you made me feel alive." Bella smirked at Jacob, and then returned her eyes to the road.

A large grin crept across Jacob's face. "Well the fun does not have to end just yet. Following Halloween tradition, when we get back to my place, we will dump the candy into one big pile and sort through it. See Quil loves tootsie rolls and Embry, well he is a candy corn freak. I, on the other hand, love caramel anything. So what is your poison? What can we bribe you with?"

"I love suckers and jawbreakers," she replied, an evil smirk all over her face.

"And why is that?" Jacob asked, raising one eye brow.

"Because I love hard things that I can suck for a really long time," she answered, never breaking eye contact with Jacob. Jacob swallowed hard and looked out the window. Bella giggled and looked back at the road. She glanced over and saw Jacob adjust himself and she felt very proud of her accomplishment. She would pay them back a little at a time for tonight. "So what happens after the big candy exchange?" Bella asked.

"Um, we order pizza and watch the Halloween movies. The guys usually stay over and we sleep on the living room floor. No big deal. No egging, no tee peeing, no animal sacrifices. I think the biggest 'crime we have ever pulled off was stealing a few of Dad's beers."

"I guess I can stay for pizza and maybe a movie or two, but not all night. I don't trust Quil. Something about that boy, I think he might molest me in my sleep." Bella did not want to tell him the real reason she could not stay. She was afraid the dreams would come, like they always did. It was bad enough to wake her father up with her screaming but she could not risk it with these new found friends. She did not want to ruin the first night of fun she had had since _he _left.

"I would never let anything happen to you, Bella. You know that, right? I will always protect you... even from my perverted juvenile friends."

"I know," Bella responded and she actually meant it. "but pizza and a movie only."

They pulled up to Billy's house and all took their loot into the house. Embry was already on the phone dialing the pizza place, when he asked, "What do you like on your pizza Bella?"

"Whatever you guys want, just no anchovies."

While they waited on the pizza, the loot was divided up, the guys all got in their sweats and t-shirts and Jacob put the first movie on. Embry wrapped himself up in a blanket in the chair. Quil had his bed already made on the floor and Jacob sprawled out on the couch with his head in Bella's lap. She was braiding his hair while catching snippets of the movie.

There was a knock at the door and Jacob went to get the pizza. He turned around and was met with laughter. "What?" he questioned.

"All the little braids sticking up all over the place…. Dude… you look like…Coolio," Embry barely got out over the snickers.

Jacob put the pizza down and went to look at himself in the mirror, "Bella! I am not going to let you play with my hair if you make me look like Buckwheat!"

Bella could not hold back the laughter anymore. She belly laughed, holding her sides. They all joined in, including Jacob. He was just so happy to see her laughing.

Soon the pizza was all gone and the clock was ticking closer to one o'clock. Embry was already asleep. Bella made her excuses and headed for the door. "Let me walk you out," Jacob said.

Jacob opened the truck door for her and shut it behind her. "Now call and let me know you made it home."

"Yes dad!" Bella replied, rolling her eyes at him.

"I mean it. It is late and crazies are out on the road. If you don't want to call, just text me" he pleaded.

"I will..." She stammered, trying to find the words to finish her sentence. "and thank you for dragging me out of the house. I had a great time with you and those goof balls. It is the first time I have laughed since….. well, a long time."

"Anytime, Bella. My door is always open. You know that." Jacob looked down at the ground.

"I will take you up on that offer, Buckwheat. Now back in the house." Bella waved as she pulled out of the driveway, offering him a full smile.

The ride home went surprisingly fast. Charlie was up when she walked in the front door. "Kind of late, don't you think," Charlie asked.

"Well, after I took them trick or treating, we went back to Billy's and had pizza and watched scary movies."

"So you had a good time?" Charlie questioned.

"Yes, yes I did."

"Well good. Go on to bed, it's late. I will see you in the morning."

"Night," she said and with that Bella was off to bed. She hurried into her pajamas and laid on her bed. She sent Jacob a quick text to let him know she was home. He replied right back with a good night. Bella went to sleep that night and for the first time in weeks, she slept peacefully.

**A/N: I would like to thank km3 and purelyamuse. Without them, I would not be writing this story. Purelyamuse has given me so much inspiration by allowing me to see her work her magic. **


	2. Chapter 2 Party at the Blacks

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything is the property of SM. **

One night out with Jacob and his idiotic cohorts, did not instantly bring Bella out of the despair she was in. But, when Bella got out of bed the next morning, she found herself able to breathe a little easier. She got ready for her day in the usual manner and went downstairs to make Charlie breakfast with a light hop in her step. Before she knew it she had made pancakes, bacon, eggs and hash browns. When Charlie sat down at the kitchen table, a hot cup of coffee was waiting on him. Bella placed a plate of food in front of him and then sat down with one in front of her. As she shoveled in the first few bits of food, she could not help but notice Charlie's stare. "Do I have something on my face?" She questioned.

"No. Just haven't seen you eat like that in awhile." Charlie looked down at his own plate and started eating. He did not want to make a big fuss, afraid of any backslide.

"I am just hungry. I actually had a good time last night. I guess I worked up an appetite."

Bella shoveled more food in her face.

Charlie just smiled and went back to his breakfast.

XXX

Later that afternoon, Bella was lying on her bed going through Charlie's old photo albums. It had been so long since she had seen some of these photos. There were pictures of a dating Charlie and Renee with several other couples that appeared to be Native. She recognized Billy and Sarah Black. She had forgotten how tall Billy was and how incredibly beautiful Sarah was. She was pregnant with the twins in the photos and actually glowed.

She came across the pictures of her parent's wedding. Again, several Native couples as well as her Grandparents were in the pictures. Sarah was again slim in these pictures and it was Renee with the tell-tale bump under her white sundress. There was even a picture of Jacob's sisters in frilly pink dresses; they may have been a year old.

There weren't many pictures of Renee pregnant. So the next photos in the album were of Charlie, Renee and a newborn Bella in the hospital. Bella scrunched up her nose at herself as a newborn, all red, wrinkly, screaming and BALD! There were hundreds of pictures of her, in all stages of her first year. She wondered if she would be like that as a new mother. She stopped. This was the first time, well in her life that she actually thought about herself having a child. _Scratch that thought. Not going to happen. _She thought to herself.

She looked at photos of herself with two older girls at what looked to be the Blacks. The children all seemed to be happy. There were pictures of all her early holidays and surprisingly, the Blacks were in most of them. Soon the pictures included a little russet skinned boy with the smile she had come to recognize in an instant, Jacob.

The pictures continued and she found more of her and Jacob and less of her with anyone else. _Where we always together? _ She thought to herself. As time went one, one person seemed to be missing from the photos, Renee. The pictures continued pretty regularly documenting her life until she was around four. Then they seemed to jump in time. _That was when we moved to Arizona_, she once again thought to herself.

The next album was all of summers at the Blacks. Again, she and Jacob seemed joined at the hip. There were pictures of them fishing, coloring, and playing with dolls and tea sets and well as trucks and cars. These brought back memories she had long since forgotten.

One in particular got her attention. It was of the twins laughing, herself in her favorite purple overalls, sitting on the porch with her face in her hands and a crying Jacob in Sarah's arms. He looked to have been about four. He had mud all over his face and hands. She remembered that day.

They were all out playing in the yard and the twins were off playing by themselves, as usual and Bella found herself making mud pies. Jacob, her ever present sidekick watched in amazement. "Kiss me Bells," the precocious youngster had said to her.

"What?" Bella had asked in amazement, as she finished up her latest masterpiece.

"Kiss me," Jacob persisted.

"Do you even know what kisses are?" Bella asked, slightly annoyed.

"Yes, Mommy and Daddy do it all the time. They say it's what people do when they love each other and I love you so… kiss me," Jacob pleaded.

"Well prove you love me then," Bella said.

"How? Anything, you name it!" Jacob exclaimed.

"Eat this pie and tell me how good it is," Bella smirked.

Jacob was eating the pie in an instant. He looked up, with a mouth full of mud and said, "It was good. Okay, kiss me."

"No way, you have mud in your mouth! That is dirty." Bella said disgusted.

Jacob broke into hysterics. The twins ran over and Bella told them what happen and they could not stop laughing. Soon the adults and came to see what all the commotion was about. Sarah held Jacob as his wails got louder and louder. Bella sat on the porch while the adults discussed what to do. _That must have been when Charlie took the picture _Bella thought.

They informed her that a she had to kiss Jacob, as he had done his part of the bargain. Bella huffed and puffed but walked over and went to kiss him on the cheek. He turned his head and Bella was met with lips covered in mud. Jacob's smile returned to his face. "Thank, Bells."

Everyone thought it was funny, except for Bella. Now she had mud all over her lips.

Bella was brought out of her memories by the sound of her phone ringing. It was Jacob. She quickly answered. "Hey."

"Hey yourself, I was just calling to let you know you forgot your candy. I don't know how long I can keep Tweedle dee and Tweedle dumb away from it. They show up whenever they feel like it. So if you weren't busy, I thought maybe you might want to come out here." Jacob finally breathed after the last word. It was obvious he had been practicing what he was going to say and just wanted to get it all out.

Bella giggled to herself. "Sure. Charlie was coming out anyway. He said something about Billy's monthly euchre party."

"I forgot about that. Now you have to come and keep me company. I will be relegated to the garage while the old farts do what ever it is that they do at those parties."

Bella could here a chuckle in Jacob's voice. "No problem. Should I bring some food?"

"That would be great. No big meal though, just a snack for you and me. You might want to make enough for Quil and Embry. The women usually cook for these shindigs."

"Women? I though it was a boys only type thing; male bounding and all."

"It is just of few of the women, Harry's wife Sue, Embry's and Quil's moms. Most of the time, the Sinclairs come because Jack Sinclair is on the council with my dad and Harry. I really don't know Bella. Come on down and see for yourself."

"I will. See you soon. Keep Quil and Embry out of my candy till I get there."

"Sure, sure. Bye Bella."

"Later, Jacob."

Bella put up the photo albums and thought about what she could make for a snack, other than mud pies.

XXX

Bella went in the kitchen and started whipping up a batch of brownies. She put them in the oven and went to freshen up. By the time the timer went off on the oven, Bella was ready to go and coming down the stairs. Charlie came out of his room and sniffed the air, "What smells so good?"

"I made brownies to take to Billy's."

"Are you coming out to the Rez? You've never done that before." Charlie could see that his questions struck a cord so he quickly backtracked. "But hey, that's great. Are you going to visit with Jacob?"

"Yeah, I forgot my Halloween loot and he mentioned something about hanging out. I thought it might be fun. No big deal."

"Yeah, no big deal." Charlie turned and tried to hide the smile on his face. He also noticed that for the first time in weeks, Bella had fixed her hair and put on a little make-up.

XXX

Bella walked into the garage with her platter of brownies. Jacob was alone and under the Rabbit. He did not seem to notice her arrival. She set the brownies down on the workbench, walked over and kicked his foot. Jacob hit his head trying to see the intruder, earning him a small giggle from Bella. "Shit Bells, you trying to scare me or something?" Jacob asked rubbing his head.

"Payback, baby. You won't know when it is coming, but it is. I will get you, and your evil little friends too," she retorted, during her best Wicked Witch of the West impersonation. Jake just chuckled at her, but was happy to see that she was making her way back to the Bella he remembered.

"You guys talking about us?" Quil asked. He and Embry came walking in, heading straight for the brownies. They looked as though their eyes might have exploded out of their heads if they did not get to the brownies. "Oooh, brownies. You make these Bella?"

"Yes, of course I made them. Do you think there is such a thing as the brownie fairy? Did they just magically appear?" Bella just smiled as Quil and Embry stuffed their faces.

"Nice one Bella." Embry managed to get out with a mouth full of brownie.

Jake walked over and wiped his hands off and proceeded to grab a brownie himself. He took a bite, "These are awesome Bella. Why aren't you eating any?" He asked, with a few crumbs falling down his chin.

"Oh, I made these special for you guys. You can call it sort of a thank you for last night." Bella just smirked, raising an eyebrow. "I added a special ingredient just for you boys."

Embry spit the brownie out. "They're shit brownies guys. She put laxatives in the brownies!"

The others followed suit. Bella could not stop laughing. "No I didn't. But the look on your faces was so worth it. Oh man, this is going to be so much fun getting you guys back for that stunt you pulled last night.

Charlie stuck his head in the door of the garage, "What's so funny?" he questioned.

"They thought I made 'special' brownies," Bella barely got out over the laughs.

"Why would they think you would make pot brownies Bella?" Charlie scoffed.

Bella and the boys completely lost it. Charlie thought she meant pot brownies. Charlie, pot, the whole concept was just too much.

"No Charlie, we thought she put laxatives in the brownies to pay us back for scaring her last night," Jacob replied. They all continued to laugh.

"Okay, well then I will leave you to your laxatives then." Charlie shook his head and walked back towards the house.

XXX

Charlie walked back in Billy's back door. He sat down at the table and grabbed his beer. A small smile crept across his face.

"You seem better than the last time we spoke," Billy said.

"It's Bella, she seems better. Her and those boys are out there laughing and cutting up. I guess they had a pretty good time last night too. It is kind of weird. She was so down and now she seems to be coming out of it."

"I told you Charlie. Just give her time. Kids are so resilient. Besides, maybe she needed to be with kids her own age and having fun, instead of moping around the house."

"Yeah I guess so, but I'm still not completely sure this whole depression thing is over."

"Well forget about it for tonight anyway. She is safe and a few yards away with Jacob and his two half-wit friends. They will take good care of her. And besides, if anyone can make her happy and take her mind off things, it's Jacob. Remember how close they always were as kids. She always spent her time with him instead of the girls. They were closer than most kids at that age. Besides, everyone else will be here soon. Kay Call is in the bathroom. She brought her famous chowder and homemade bread."

'That is the good stuff." Charlie walked over and opened the crock pot, taking in a deep whiff.

Within minutes all the others had arrived. The Sinclairs brought in a meat and cheese tray. Linda Ateara brought her bacon wrapped weenies and nachos. Bringing up the rear was Harry and Sue. Sue hade made her carrot cake as well as cherry cheesecake. Everyone helped themselves to the feast. Billy called for the kids to come in from the garage, long enough to get their plates, then rushed them back out. Bella had managed to get a quick introduction to Quil and Embry's moms and also the Sinclairs. They were parents of another boy Jacob went to school with, Jared. But Jared was a little older and not friends with Jacob and his crew.

XXX

When they returned to the garage Bella asked why they weren't aloud to stay in the house during these parties.

Quil piped up, "Maybe they are swingers and this is some sort of wild orgy."

Bell almost spit out her drink. "Are you crazy Quil?"

"Well look at the facts. We are never allowed to stay in the house. Even in the dead of winter we are sent out to the garage. If we go inside to use the bathroom, the room falls instantly silent." Quil looked over at the other two, who nodded in agreement. Quil continued. "It is always the same number of men and women. My mom is a widow. Jake's dad is a widower. Embry's mom is, well, single and your dad's single, then the Sinclairs and the Clearwaters."

Bella looked over at Jake who shrugged his shoulders. "You are saying my dad, Charlie Swan, is a deviant swinger? Seriously Quil, you have a screw loose."

Embry chimed in, "Well maybe it's not a sex party. Maybe they are all getting stoned. After all, your father who assumed you made pot brownies. Maybe they all pass the peace pipe around. We are Indians, Bella. It is in our blood." Embry proceeded to go back to eating his food.

Bella shook her head and looked around the room. None of the guys were giggling. They were all just stuffing their faces, seemingly unfazed. Bell went back to her food, trying to get rid of all thoughts of her dad as either a pothead or a sexual degenerate. After a few bites she could not eat anymore.

"What's wrong Bella?" Jacob asked. "You're not eating and it can't be the food."

"How can I eat, when you stupid jerks have made me question everything I know in this world?" Bella exclaimed.

"Seriously Bells, they are just playing cards and drinking a little. You know your dad drinks Bella. That is not a news flash." Jacob retorted.

Bella went back to eating her food. Of course Jacob was right. She knew her father. I mean, granted they had not spent a whole lot of time together in the past few years. Even when she came to live with him, she had been so involved with_ him_. Then she had been so involved in her own pain and drama…. Did she know her father at all? She decided to push all this out of her mind for now and just enjoy the evening.

After the group finished up their grub, Jacob went back to working on his car. "Do you think you'll have it ready by your birthday Jake?" Embry asked.

"Of course I do, I am right on schedule. And when my birthday rolls around in January, I am free."

"Free?" Bella asked.

"Yes, free Bella. Not suck on the Rez. This is about going where I like, when I like. No having to ask older beautiful women for rides."

Jacob's last comment made Bella blush.

Embry broke the uneasy silence. "So should we get back to the old standby conversation?"

"No Em, Bella doesn't need to hear about that stuff," Jacob remarked rather quickly.

"What don't I need to hear? Is it too gruesome for a girl? I can hang, Jacob. Don't try to protect me or treat me like some delicate flower. I hate that." Bella contested.

"No. It is just we always try to figure out what parts of women we like and how we would want them to be. You know, take bits and pieces, and add them up into the ultimate woman."

"Oh, so you like, break down these women down to just parts, and objectify them?" Bella asked.

"Pretty much." Jacob nervously rubbed the back of his neck and seemed embarrassed. Jacob decided to take this opportunity to start working again on the Rabbit. He did not need to see Bella's reactions.

"I'm in." Bella replied. "So tell me what you guys have so far."

Quil started, "It is always an argument. I love blonds, Embry likes black hair and Jake insists that she have long Mahogany hair. I mean really Bella, what kind of straight guy even knows the term mahogany?"

Bella could not help but chuckled as Quil ducked the wrench being thrown at his head.

"How about eye color?" Bella asked.

Embry spoke up this time. "Well, no one agrees. I love beautiful dark eyes. Quil is partial to green or blue eyes and then we have ole Jake there. What does he call them? Chocolate brown, Gee Quil, you may be right about Jake." They all snickered, all but Jake.

"Check," Bella continued. "How about lips."

Quil and Embry both spoke at the same time, "Big, plump and thick!"

Quil continued on, "but Jake over there prefers, not too big, not too small, almost heart shaped."

"On to body types…. This is scary" Bella giggled.

"Quil and I both like them tall and thick in all the right places. Long legs, wide hips, thick ass and a huge rack." Embry put up his hand and Quil slapped it.

"Hell yeah!"

"And Jacob?" Bella squeaked.

Quil took this one "Small, petite, with a nice round ass and just enough tits for a good handful. What does Jake always say? Oh yeah… more than a mouthful is a waste."

"Well I guess that about covers it." Bella said

"Not quite. Embry and I like women with a tan or dark skin like ours. Jake prefers a 'peaches and cream' complexion. Also, Embry and I agree brains are overrated but Jake wants a smart girl."

Bella looked over at Jake who was again working feverishly on the Rabbit, trying to ignore the entire conversation taking place.

She finally spoke, "So basically you're telling me that Embry, you like Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls. Quil, you like Pam Anderson and Jacob likes hmmm Natalie Portman?"

"Pretty well sums it up." Embry surmised. Quil nodded in agreement.

"So Jacob is the only one of you that is not a complete pig. Good to know." Bella added.

Jacob chuckled from under the Rabbit.

Bella looked at her watch, it was getting late. "When do these things usually wind down?"

"It depends. One or two in the morning sounds about right. If Charlie has been hitting Harry's special brew, you might find yourself stuck here for the night." Jake answered.

Quil and Embry looked at each other, then to Jake. They seemed to be having an entire conversation in their minds. "It's late Em, let's head back to my place and play some Halo."

"Sounds like a plan. See ya later guys." Embry waved and he and Quil walked out of the garage.

The music was still loud and the voices even louder coming out of the house. Bella's curiosity was getting the better of her. "Jacob, let's go spy on Charlie and Billy. I am too curious."

"What if they are having an orgy Bella? Could you live forever with that visual scarred into your mind?"

"Get serious Jacob." Bella hit Jacob's arm. Bella walked towards the door.

Jacob shook his head, but got up and followed her. Bella made her way to the living room window with Jacob right on her heels. They looked in the window and everything looked normal. The Clearwaters and the Sinclairs were at one table playing cards while Billy and Charlie were teamed against Quil and Embry's moms at the other table. An AC/DC song came on and Bella watched as her father took off his flannel shirt revealing a rolling stones concert t-shirt. _Interesting, did he have shirts like that?_ Bella did not remember washing any. He proceeded to start playing air guitar. Billy was bobbing his head up and down to the music. Harry called over from the other table, "Hey guys, you remember the trip to Seattle to watch this concert?"

"Remember?" Billy hollered back. "I am pretty sure the twins were conceived in the back of your van on the way home." They all busted up laughing.

Jacob covered his ears and fled back to the safety of the garage.

Bella followed. She went over and rubbed Jacob's back as he rocked back and forth.

"Hey, it's no big deal. It was kind of nice to see that side of them. They are just having fun."

"You didn't hear that your mom and dad were having sex in a van full of people on the way home from a concert."

"Jacob, do you remember my mom? She used to drag me to concerts growing up and let me tell you, hearing that is nothing compared to seeing your mom on some guys shoulders flashing her tits at the band and Jacob… she was like 30."

He looked up to her, cocking an eyebrow, "You may have me beat." He told her, his smile returning to his face. "Since they are having a party in there, I have some cards. Why don't we listen to music like we used to? I'll even let you pick." He went to turn on the radio.

"Um Jacob, I haven't really been listening to any music for a few weeks now. So if you don't mind…"

"Bella, that is silly. You used to love music. Before you left, you were just getting out of the boy band phase. Since you are newly single, maybe Justin Timberlake is available." Jacob teased mercilessly.

"Well since you are bringing up embarrassing pasts, do you still have those Victoria Secret catalogs under your mattress?" Bella asked, deciding that two can play this game.

"Bells! You promised to never speak of finding them again. Do you know how embarrassing that was for me? To have you see them?" Jacob grabbed his head in his hands and pulled slightly on his hair. "That's it! For your betrayal I am sentencing you to an hour of music of my choosing and you will like it. Any lip and I might make you dance."

"You're evil Jacob. You go straight for the jugular." Bella feigned crying.

Jacob tuned on the radio and made Bella listen to a variety of music from Fifty cent to Linkin Park, while they played cards on a makeshift table. By the time Gwen Stefani had come on, Bella actually found herself nodding her head and mumbling the words. Soon the hour was up and the music was never turned off. Bella found herself telling Jacob to turn up the radio when the Pussycat Dolls came on.

"I would have never taken you for the Pussycat Dolls type of girl, Bella. Next thing I know you might get up and start dancing on your own." Jacob snickered, as he laid down his cards. "Rummy! That is six games Jacob, two games Bella. Are you ready to admit I am the king yet?"

"No, I will never admit defeat but I am tired." Bella stretched and yawned. "I wish they would wrap it up. But then again, I have not seen Charlie this happy since… well I have never seen Charlie this happy."

Jacob thought for a minute then devised a plan to allow him more time with her. "Well there is camping stuff out here and we have a space heater. We could just camp out here for the night. Separate sleeping bags, I promise Bella. Scouts honor."

"What would I sleep in?" Bella questioned.

"I am sure I have some old sweats that will fit you. I can run in and get them. I am sure your dad will need to sleep here anyway." Jacob had an answer for everything Bella throw at him.

Bella thought for a minute. It sounded tempting. But what if the dreams came back? Bella decided to throw caution to the wind. "Sure, Jacob, that sounds like fun."

"Cool, it will be like the sleep outs we had when we were little." Jacob was beaming like a child on Christmas morning.

Jacob went into the house and returned an arm full of pillows. He had already changed into his sweats and an old t shirt that was way too small.

"Uhh, I left them on my bed. I figured you would want to change in there anyway."

She went back into the house and changed. While she was inside she told Charlie goodnight, placing a kiss on the top of his head. When she came back out Jacob had the sleeping bags and the tent set up in the middle of the garage. He had a lantern turned on and was lying in his sleeping bag. She hopped in her bag and zipped it up. "I am really tired Jacob. I hope you don't think I am a party pooper."

"Not at all Bella, I am just happy that you came and had a nice time. You did have a nice time, right Bells?"

"Yes I did. And I also found out that yes, your friends are pigs. But you seem to be just a little more mature than they are. You might be like seventeen."

"If I'm seventeen, how old are Embry and Quil?"

"Well Embry is probably fifteen or so. You know, his actual age. Quil on the other hand… he is like twelve." They both burst out in laughter.

"How old do you think you are Bella?"

"Well I have to take off some because I am hanging out with you clowns but I would say like twenty-five."

"Cool. That makes you like a cougar or something." Jacob joked. They both chuckled.

Jacob turned off the lantern and it was almost completely black in the tent. He quickly turned the lantern back on. "Um… do you mind if we take the tent outside? We can open up the top flap and at least have moonlight."

"You scared of the dark Jacob?" Bella asked, secretly happy it was Jacob who suggested it.

"Maybe," Jacob admitted. In no time Jacob had reconstructed their camp twenty feet away in the yard, next to the house. They returned to their positions in their respective sleeping bags. This time with the flap open, the moonlight lighting up the tent.

"Well goodnight Jacob. Thanks for yet another great night." Bella meant every word she said.

"Night, night, Bells." Jacob whispered back.

Bella looked up at the stars and over at Jacob. He was looking up at the stars too. He looked so young in the moonlight. If she squinted just right, she almost saw the little boy he used to be. But then she opened her eyes wide and saw the man he had become. She felt a flutter deep in her stomach that overpowered the dull ache, but chose to ignore it.

Muffled music and laughter coming from the house filled the air. Bella smiled. She closed her eyes and felt the first real peace she had felt in ages. Something told her that maybe, just maybe, she was going to be okay. That she had found a new family to replace the one she had lost. That she had found where she truly belonged.

**A/N. Once again thank you to km3 for all your help with this chapter and story. You are amazing. I would like to that you all for taking the time to read this story.**


	3. Chapter 3 Feeding My Men

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. This entire world belongs to SM.**

Dread was the major thought on Bella's mind when she woke up Monday morning. She had actually enjoyed her time away from reality with Jacob and his friends. Now it was back to real life.

Bella slipped into the classroom just as the bell rang. This was the way Bella liked it now. She didn't have to face her old friends; have to feel their pity or feel them judging her. About halfway through English, she made eye contact with Angela. She didn't miss Jessica's whining, or Eric's yammering, or Mike's constant inappropriate flirting, but she did miss Angela.

Lunch was the same as it had been for the past seven or so weeks. She sat at her table alone with a bottle of water and some uneaten fruit. She looked over at her old table; the one she used to share with the Forks gang. She thought back to when she first arrived here and how welcome they had made her feel. But she had pretty much dropped them to the wayside when she had become involved with _him and his family._ She never really realized how isolated she really was. She had a life before _them _and maybe, if she tried a little harder, she could have part of that life back.

As if it were some cosmic sign, her phone went off. It was a text from Jacob. **lunch r u busy?**

She opened her phone and called him. "Hey, what's up?"

"I had to get a hold of you. Our favorite deviant just got detention for the week. Now ask me why."

"Why?"

"He got caught drilling a peep hole into the girls' locker room!" Jacob chuckled.

"Quil did what?" Bella giggled.

"He got caught drilling-"

"Jacob, I heard you the first time. I was just saying… that is straight out of Porky's. But you probably don't remember that movie." Bella giggled more.

"Of course I know that movie. I've raided Dad's old VHS collection a time or two. And that has one of the hottest scenes of all time. Kim Cattrall howling like a wolf."

Bella could hear the sexual undertones in Jacob's voice but chose to ignore them. This piece of news had just made her day. She laughed out loud. All of a sudden she felt eyes on her. It was making her very uncomfortable.

"Hey, I will call you after school. I have a bit of an audience here and I need to get ready for my next class. Thanks for the laugh." Bella quickly hung up her phone.

They were all staring at her. But the eyes that were the most intense were Angela's. Was that … hurt she saw? Angela got up to take her tray to the conveyer belt. Bella went over to her. "Hey," she said timidly.

"Hey. I see you're back amongst the living. Was that like…Edward or something on the phone? Are they coming back?" Angela asked.

"No, that was just my friend Jacob from the reservation. I spent the weekend out there and he had to tell me something funny that happened with one of our friends and his school," Bella gushed.

"Jacob, wasn't he that skinny kid from La Push Beach?" Angela questioned.

"Yeah, that's him. But he has really shot up and filled out in the past few months. He looks so much older. You probably would not even recognize him." Bella wondered why she felt compelled to justify her friendship with Jacob to Angela. They were just friends after all, weren't they? "So anyway Angela, I have been meaning to call you. Do you want to hang out sometime? Maybe do some homework, go to a movie or something?"

"I would love to Bella. It is great to have you back." Angela gave Bella a hug. Bella tried to hold back her hesitation. She had never been a touchy feely kind of person and physical contact sometimes made her uncomfortable.

"I have been here the whole time. I haven't gone anywhere." Bella gently replied.

"I am glad to have YOU back."

"Well in that case, I guess I am glad to BE back." Bella said, releasing Angela from the hug. The bell rang and Bella walked to her next class. She had wondered what exactly Angela meant. But more importantly, was she really back? Charlie wanted her back. Jacob and her friends in La Push wanted her back. She was even reconnecting with Angela and maybe the others. Hell, even _he_ wanted her to have a normal life, right? Maybe she was back, or at the very least on her way back and she liked it. Bella smiled to herself because she liked the sound of that.

XXX

Her calls to Jacob became more and more frequent. They spent hours on the phone talking about everything and some things of no real consequence. He had invited her down to the rez to spend the weekend but she informed him that she and Angela were going to a movie on Saturday in Port Angeles, but she could come down Sunday. Bella offered to bring dinner for him, Charlie and his dad.

He seemed a little disappointed at first but hid it well. "I am glad that you are going to have fun with some of your friends from Forks, Bella. I am sure you don't want to waste all your time down here with us rez kids. Plus, Angela seemed nice."

"She is nice, but don't think for a minute that I don't enjoy my time with you guys."

Bella could hear the deep sigh of relief come from Jacob. "I guess that gives me extra time to work on the Rabbit Saturday anyway."

"Hey, do you have any requests for Sunday? Anything special you want?" Bella asked.

"We can do whatever you want," Jacob quickly replied.

"Good to know, but I meant for dinner, silly. Any requests?"

"Oh…anything you cook is fine. It has to be better than the toaster pizzas and macaroni and cheese we normally have."

"How about I make a big roast with vegetables? I will bring rolls and a salad with it. I am sure there will be plenty left and you and Billy can make sandwiches or something for the next couple nights." Bella offered.

Jacob was quiet for a moment then he spoke softly, "Thanks Bella. That is really cool of you to do."

"Well I care about you guys. You're like family to me. I finally have Charlie eating normal meals and not at the diner every night. I will see what I can do about you and Billy. Maybe I will make up a few things you can freeze and then heat up throughout the week." Bella was already making mental notes on the meals she could prepare.

Again there was a long pause before Jacob spoke. "Well you are like family to us too. I hope you know how much you mean to me… to Dad and me."

There was an awkward silence. Bella quickly broke it, "Well I need to get going. I need to head to the grocery store; menus to plan and food to cook."

"Yeah, um take care Bells and I will see you Sunday."

""Bye Jacob." And with that, she hung up the phone.

XXX

Saturday Bella spent most of the morning cooking. She made double batches of beef stew and chicken and noodles; putting each in gallon bags. Two lasagnas and two chicken enchilada casseroles rounded out her morning. She made one for home and one for Jacob's. She also found that this made her life easier. She was set for the week for her and Charlie. Now the only cooking left would be tomorrow morning. She wanted the roast to be nice and fresh.

After all her cooking, she went up to take a shower and get ready for her afternoon with Angela. Angela showed up just as Bella finally sat down on the couch to rest.

"You look tired, Bella. Are you sure you are up for the movie?" Angela questioned.

"Yeah, I just needed to sit for a minute. I got up early to make up most of our meals for the week. I made extra so I could take some food down for Billy and Jacob. It's just the two of them and Billy is in a wheelchair. He's also a diabetic and I wanted them to be able to eat something that wasn't junk food."

"So you're doing it for his dad, right? Jacob has nothing to do with it?" Angela snickered.

"Well of course I want him to eat well, too. He is my friend." Bella replied, not really understanding Angela's questioning.

"Your friend that has really shot up and filled out, so much that I probably would not even recognize him." Angela threw Bella's words back in her face.

Bella finally caught on to Angela's insistent questioning and quickly replied, "He's fifteen, Angela. I think that is illegal. We are just friends." She rolled her eyes; the irritation was more than apparent.

Angela just smirked and nodded her head in agreement. She knew pushing the issue would only annoy Bella. She was happy to have her friend back and didn't want to upset her. After a little bit of cleaning up, they were on their way to Port Angeles.

The movie was okay. It was one of those stupid comedies that don't make you think. It was a perfect choice. They caught a burger afterwards. Angela caught Bella up on a lot of the gossip she had missed.

Tyler and Lauren had been caught making out in the back of the bus on the way home from an away game and Mike had caught it with his camera phone. Lauren had offered Mike a little action to delete the picture from his cell phone and Jessica had gotten wind of it. By the end of the next week, Jessica had it all over school and also had Lauren suffering from some horrible STD before it was over with.

Angela talked about other kids they went to school with. Bella listened and could not believe all the things that had gone on under her nose in the past few weeks. Angela also told Bella all about her and Eric. Bella listened but tuned out most of it. The more perfect Angela made Eric sound, the more she thought about _him._ She had promised herself to get over it and she was trying to make good on that promise.

The ride home was pretty quiet. Bella found herself falling asleep. It had been a long day and she was ready to be home and in bed. She thanked Angela for the evening and then headed inside to find that there was no Charlie waiting up. She quickly changed and went to lie down. As tired as she was, sleep eluded her. She found her thoughts wondering for the first time in a while to _him_. She made a decision to cleanse her mind of _him_. Bella was finally seemingly free of the nightmares and she did not want them to return.

She looked over at the clock. It was almost one in the morning. She wondered if Jacob was awake. She decided to send him a text and see if he responded. As soon as she went to put her phone back down, it lit up with a response. She smiled, _he is always there_. She thought. She dialed the number and was met with an instant answer.

"Hey." Jacob's voice sounded like he had just woke up.

"Did I wake you? I will let you go back to sleep."

"It's fine Bella. I had just gone to bed anyway. Embry barely left a bit ago. Besides who needs sleep when I could be talking with you." Bella could hear the smile in Jacob's voice.

"What did you and Embry do?" Bella asked.

"Same old, same old. I am saving the big Quil conversation for tomorrow. I want to see your face. How was the movie with Angela?" Jacob questioned back. Obviously he thought she had something to tell.

"It was okay. You would have liked the movie though. It was stupid funny. She talked a lot about things from school."

"Did you miss a lot, find out anything interesting?" Jacob probed.

"A couple got caught making out on the back of the school bus by a guy who took a picture with his cell phone. The girl, a total slut named Lauren, had offered the guy a little action to erase it. It got back to his girlfriend and then she flipped and started all these rumors. Total high school drama."

"Lauren? Is she like a blond and wears a lot of makeup and tight clothes?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Bella was getting a knot in the pit of her stomach. She had heard that Lauren had 'visited' the rez. Surely she had not gotten her claws into her Jacob.

"She comes down to the rez sometimes. A few, well okay, a lot of the guys I know, well 'know her' if you catch my drift. She is kind of like a rite of passage" he chuckled to himself.

"Rite of passage?"

"Well if you are looking to lose something, you know who to call."

"Oooh." Bella replied, and then the ramifications of what he said hit her. "How well do you know her?" The words were out of her mouth before she could take them back.

"Are you asking if she popped my cherry Bella?" Jacob was totally laughing at her.

"I know I shouldn't ask. It's none of my business. Just forget I even said anything." Bella felt completely humiliated. But part of her wondered why the thought of Lauren with Jacob bothered her so much.

"You can ask me anything. No. I have never found use of Lauren's services. It sounds kind of weird but my Mom said something that always stuck with me. I mean she died when I was like eight, but she told me that I belonged to one girl and when the time was right, I would know whom that was. I didn't understand what she was talking about at the time, but it stuck. And I know that girl is not Lauren." Jacob was very quiet.

Bella felt awkward. She didn't know if the feeling was generated from Jacob talking about his dead mom, his sex life or something else but she felt the need to break this awkwardness. "Has Embry or Quil taken her up on her offer?"

Jacob snickered. "Embry, hell no. Quil, I would know if he actually had sex with anyone other than himself. So the answer there is another no. Shit, maybe Lauren has standards."

This was better. They were making fun of others and not talking personally anymore.

Bella yawned into the phone. "I am getting tired Jacob. I have to get some sleep before I see you in a few hours. Thanks."

"Thanks? Thanks for what?" Jacob asked.

"Thanks," Bella thought carefully before she spoke, "for being you and talking to me in the early hours of the morning, just because I needed to talk."

"We didn't talk about much, Bella." Jacob was a little confused.

"It was enough to clear my mind. I think I can sleep now. See you tomorrow Jacob."

"Night, Bells. Anytime you want to talk. I am here." They both hung up.

XXX

Bella woke up tired. She had not dreamt of Edward but she had dreamt. She could not remember what it was only that she was pretty sure Jacob and Lauren had been in it. She had slept in and needed to get the food in the oven. Charlie was already sitting at the kitchen table when Bella walked downstairs. He was reading the paper and finishing up his cup of coffee. "Morning sleepyhead."

"Morning. Are you hungry? I can fix up something quick while I start the roast." Bella was already pulling out the roasting pan and turning on the oven.

"I'm fine. I am saving all my room for the roast." Charlie said putting down the paper and taking a drink of coffee. "Did you have a nice time with Angela?"

"It was okay. Saw a stupid movie. We went for a burger and then caught up on the latest school gossip."

"Did you miss much?"

"No, not really," Bella continued to wash and peel the vegetables as she talked. "Just a lot of silly 'who is seeing who' kind of talk. Angela and Eric are seeing each other and it is getting kind of serious. You know; that kind of stuff. I have a feeling I was probably a hot topic around school, but of course Angela saved my feelings."

"I saw a lot of food in the fridge when I came home last night Bella. It looks like you cooked enough for an army."

"Oh that. I just made up meals for the week for us and the Blacks. That reminds me. I need to write out heating instructions for each dish." Bella placed all the vegetables in the roasting dish and began to prepare the meat with seasoning.

Charlie watched as his daughter prepared the meal. "That was awful nice of you Bella. Billy can't get around like he used to and ever since Rachel and Rebecca left home; it is just him and Jacob. They do the best they can but I admit, they know their way around the kitchen about as much as I do.

"I don't get it. Some of the worlds greatest chefs are men, yet all of the men in my life can't boil water." Bella put the dish in the oven and went to sit down at the table. She started writing out the instructions.

"All the men in your life," Charlie chuckled.

"Why are you chuckling? I swear. You do something nice and all you get is crap. I'm going upstairs to take a shower. I'll finish the instructions when I get done. Oh, we have about and hour and a half till it will be time to leave."

Charlie just chuckled again to himself as he watched his daughter walk out of the room.

XXX

The ride out to the reservation was quiet. Bella found herself getting more anxious to get there. She just wanted to get away from her dad and his snickers. She wanted to hang out in the garage and watch Jacob work on the Rabbit. She wanted to talk about Quil and his recent behavior. She just wanted to lose herself and not think about anything.

Jacob was running to greet them when they arrived. He enveloped Bella in a huge bear hug before letting her down to help Charlie with the food. They set everything down on the table. Bella turned on the stove and watched Charlie and Billy settle in front of the television. Jacob broke the silence, "Can I help?"

"Sure thing, first put that food in the freezer. Then you can help me by washing the vegetables for the salad."

"Everything looks great Bells. You sure outdid yourself. Thanks for everything."

"No problem. I am just going to heat up the roast and rolls. We should be eating in about a half an hour."

They heard cursing coming from the other room. "Sounds like Dad and Charlie are watching the game. I don't think the Seahawks are doing well."

"Seahawks, huh? Maybe they will hit a homerun or something and come back to win."

Jacob laughed. "The Seahawks are football Bella. Homeruns are baseball, the Mariners."

"Sorry. Maybe they will score a goal then," Bella looked at Jacob who was still shaking his head. "Make a basket?" she squeaked, hoping she wasn't completely useless. Jacob still shook his head no.

"Score a touchdown, Bells. Are you sure Charlie is your father? I think I have to lower your age. Maybe you are like twenty now."

"Shut up. I may not know sports, but I know things a lot of other things you would think are cool."

"Like what? Tell me something cool you know that I don't know you know." Jacob goaded.

"I know," Bella started.

"Yes?" Jacob was very close to her face, a grin from ear to ear.

"I know," again she failed to finish the sentence.

"Come on Bella. You are losing years by the minute. Soon you'll be back in grade school." Jacob continued to goad.

"Ford Mustangs made their debut in April of 1964. But it was actually for the '65 model year."

"Continue," Jacob said, very amused.

"It made its debut on a racetrack in May of '64 as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500. One of the more popular forms of the Mustang was the Shelby Mustang, which was built from '65 to '70. Carroll Shelby is the man who designed it. Sometimes, it is confused with the Cobra."

"Okay, okay. I was wrong. Bella knows cars. Your cool meter just went off the charts. I guess you are back up to at least twenty-three." Jacob conceded defeat. "I will forever be paying homage to your greatness."

Bella took the roast out of the oven and let it sit. She placed the rolls in to heat up. All the vegetables were washed and Bella took over making the salad. "So tell me more about Quil. Don't keep me in suspense. How did his detention go? I still can't believe that's all he only got. I figured that was at least a suspension."

"Oh suspension would have been like a vacation for Quil. So he got detention with Mr. Culpepper. He is the worst. They only white teacher at the school and he is like ninety years old. Sometimes I think he thinks it's the old west and he has come to save the savages. He made Quil write 'I will not be a deviant' on the boards 100 times every day after school and then, on Friday, he made him write each and every girl in the gym class that period, an apology letter, stating what he was going to do, why it was wrong and why he will never do it again."

"Well he needed something bad for that." Bella shook her head in disbelief. "I mean I would have felt bad for those girls if Quil actually succeeded. He didn't succeed did he?"

Jacob shook his head no.

"Can you imagine having Quil seeing you naked? Having to be the star of his sexual fantasies?" she asked.

"Well I don't have to worry about that, but you might. I think he has quite a crush on you."

"Well politely tell him thanks, but no thanks. I am not ready to get involved with anyone right now." Bella continued working throughout the conversation. She had finished the salad and was pulling the rolls out of the oven.

Jacob raised his eye brows. "Right now? If I tell him that, he will be outside your window everyday until you decide maybe the time is right."

"Okay then just tell him I am interested in someone else. That will keep him off my back."

"Are you Bells?" Jacob asked. He walked over to the cabinet and took out the plates to set the table for dinner. "Are you interested in someone else?" The look on his face showed a hint of hopefulness.

"Of course not, Jacob. I just had my heart ripped out by a v-…ery big jerk. I just don't want to lead him on or hurt his feelings." Bella looked in the refrigerator for dressing and pulled out the Italian and Ranch, setting them by the salad on the table.

"Yeah. You wouldn't want to hurt his feelings." Jacob barely spoke. He looked down at the table while he placed the plates there. "What do you want to drink? We have milk, water and Kool-aid. I figure Dad and Charlie are having beer."

"I have not had Kool-aid in forever. Is it…"

"Grape, yes it's your favorite." Jacob finished her sentence. He poured a glass for each of them and sat down at the table. Jacob knew he shouldn't be upset. _She was just dumped and it is too soon for her to think about me in that way. Will she ever see me the way I see her? _He thought to himself.

"Dinner's ready." She called in to the others.

"Can you bring it in here?" Billy asked. "Jake can make my plate. He knows what I like."

"Sure." Bella replied. She made her own father's plate and took it to him. When she got back in the kitchen she made her own plate and sat down at the table with Jacob.

He never looked up from the plate and was shoveling the food in. "Great food Bella," was all he offered.

"Is anything wrong Jacob?" Bella asked, noticing the change of mood.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"You just got quiet and you are never quiet." She half chuckled, hoping to draw him out of whatever funk he had slid into.

"I am just enjoying your food. I haven't eaten like this since… well a long time."

"Is that all?"

"What else could it be?" he replied, trying his best not show how he really felt.

"Well you kind of got quiet when we were talking about Quil. You aren't jealous of him or anything, right? You have no reason to be jealous of anyone."

"I'm not jealous Bella. I don't know what I am. Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure, that's fine with me." Bella wanted to change the subject almost as much as Jacob now.

"So you called me pretty late last night. You didn't have much to say about your night out. Maybe you should have just come and hung out with me."

"I don't know. Maybe I should have, I had so much fun last weekend. The guys were great but when we were playing cards, listening to music, camping out and talking… I don't know. It just felt like when we were kids. I saw Charlie having so much fun and I was just happy."

"Bella Swan…happy. It's been awhile, but I am glad you are back."

"Why is everyone saying that to me?" Bella pushed her food away, more than a little miffed.

"I didn't mean to make you mad. I'm so sorry." Jacob began apologizing profusely.

"No, I am sorry that I am so moody. I just don't know why people keep saying that to me."

"Well, for me, we were so close when we were young, even though I only say you once a year. Then you quit coming and I missed you. You came back and I only saw you a couple of times. You were always with…" Jacob stopped.

"Edward. The Cullens, you can say their names. I promise I won't go to pieces." Bella felt a tightening in her stomach but strangely, the huge pain in her chest wasn't pounding.

"Well I was kind of told not to mention the "E" word around you. Sorry." Jacob stopped. He thought for a minute, and then continued. "You were here but I never quite got my friend back until Halloween and I am just glad to have you back. Can I tell you a little secret?" Jacob asked, looking up from beneath those long, thick lashes of his.

"Sure, go ahead." Bella said, stumbling over the words.

"When I was real small, I always thought of you as my best friend. And yes, I have Quil and Embry, but really I don't think they ever quite got me like you did. I never ate a mud pie for them."

"Or played doctor?" Bella giggled.

"Especially that. I am kind of embarrassed about that. I had hoped you wouldn't have remembered that." Jacob blushed profusely.

"Well Doctor Black, help me with these dishes and then we can go for a walk or something," Bella said as she stood up and took her plate to the sink.

Jacob followed. Soon they were finished and headed out the door. They took a big step forward that afternoon, just reconnecting on the most basic of levels. They talked about things you only talk about with your best friend; Bella's pain over staying away for so long, her guilt over being away from her father and now her mother. Jacob talked about his sisters leaving him to take care of their father and about missing his mother on a daily basis. They never talked again about the "E" word though.

It was getting late so Charlie and Bella started getting ready to head back to Forks. Jacob invited Bella out the next weekend. He was installing something in the Rabbit and the guys would be there. Quil was bringing pizza. Bella thought it would be great and jumped on the chance to come back.

As they walked around the cruiser, Jacob leaned into Bella's ear and whispered, "Just so you know… things have gotten bigger over the years. Don't think that just because you have seen it… it still looks like that." Jacob wiggled his eye brows at her and smiled his trademark cheesy grin.

Bella blushed and tried to find the right words to say. All she could respond with was, "Good to know."

The trip home was short and Bella went to bed as soon as they arrived. Thoughts of the afternoon filled her head. But the images that filled it the most were of a blushing Jacob while his words rang in her ear. She tried to put it out of her head. That night she dreamt again, but instead of monsters and Edward or of Jacob and slutty girls, she dreamed of two small children running and laughing on the beach of La Push.


End file.
